The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of pomegranate tree referred to hereafter as the ‘Red Jay’ pomegranate tree, broadly characterized by its very early maturing habit, low acid content when ripe, and the deep red color of both the skin and seed arils.
The new variety of the present invention was discovered as a sport growing on a Wonderful (unpatented) pomegranate tree in a commercial planting in the inventor's farm near McFarland, Calif., USA. The instant variety was then asexually reproduced at the same farm in McFarland, Calif. by softwood cuttings made from the original sport with the resulting trees and fruit being identical to that original sport.
The fruit of the instant variety are mature for commercial harvest and shipment approximately August 5 or 25 days prior to the pomegranate variety ‘Smith’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,578) and 60 days prior to pomegranate variety ‘Wonderful’ (unpatented) in McFarland, Calif., USA. The new fruit is 10-15 days later maturing and has a distinctively darker skin and aril color when ripe than the ‘Early Foothill’ (unpatented). The new fruit is also 5-15 days later maturing with a darker red external and internal seed aril color than ‘Granada’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 2,618).
The State of California marketing regulations requires that pomegranate fruit may not be marketed until the juice from the arils have an acid content of no more than 1.85%. This new variety is able to meet this acid level requirement by July 25, however the fruit does not reach a marketable color until early August. While there are not any regulations related to required color, the market and consumers will generally not accept fruit and more specifically internal seed arils which are not red in color. By August 5, the instant variety is dark red externally with acceptably red internal seed arils. Generally, early fruit is desired by consumers and will attract higher prices for the grower, which makes this novel trait extremely desirable.